Most people don’t know this aspect of Article 5 of the US constitution:
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments…
The US has never held a constitutional convention, mostly because whenever one has been proposed, the powers that be in Washington have been so scared stiff by the prospect that they would rather satisfy the grievances of the offended parties - even if this is the last thing they want to do. The reason that a Constitutional convention is frightening to the beltway crowd is because the convention process is driven entirely at the State level with no federal input whatsoever. It was meant as a check on the power of the federal government if it grows too powerful. Georgetown University law professor Randy Barnett proposes 10 amendments, which would limit the federal government to what it was intended to be before a whole string of unconstitutional power grabs from FDR on down to Obama greatly expanded it.
A list of his proposed amendments can be found here.
He has written a highly recommended book describing the type of constitution necessary to attain maximum liberty, The Structure of Liberty.
